Hand brake



March 15, 1932. w. A. GEIGER 1,849,667

HAND BRAKE I Filed Dec. 26, 1929 I] If java/2Z2)" I Wilkam/ 4 Gez yer Patented Mar. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM A. GEIGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO W. H. MINER, INCL, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE HAND BRAKE Application filed December 26, 1929. Serial No.

This invention relates to improvements in hand brakes.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient hand brake of the power multiplying gear type, composed of a minimum number of working parts.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a power multiplying geared hand brake including a brake winding drum, a hand wheel operated shaft directly geared to the drum, wherein the brake drum is supported on the shaft of the brake staff and 1s held in centered position by additional means forming with the shaft, a three point support.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view through the end wall of a railway car illustrating my improved brake mechanlsm in connection therewith. And Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view substantially at rlght angles to the sectional view shown in Figure 1 and corresponding to the line 2 2 of said figure.

My improved hand brake mechamsm is preferably applied to the end wall of a car, the end wall being indicated by 10. The brake mechanism proper is supported within a housing A and comprises broadly a chain Winding drum B, a drive shaft C, supporting members D, E and F, a hand wheel G and a locking dog H.

The housing A, which is secured to the end wall 10 of the car, is of two part construction, comprising a plate-like member 11 forming the back wall of the housing and a cover member 12 secured to the plate 11. The cover member 12 has a vertical front wall 13 spaced from the back wall 11 and a side wall 14 401 comprising a curved top section and spaced vertically disposed side sections 1515, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The wall 1a is provided with three lugs 1616-16 by which the same is secured to the plate 11 and the housing is held to the end wall of the car. As shown, two of these lugs are located at opposite sides of the housing, adjacent the bottom thereof, and the third lug is located at the top of the same. The cover memher 12 may be secured to the plate 11 by any suitable means, and as herein shown is secured by rivets extending through the lugs 16, the plate 11 and end wall 10 of the car. The housing is open at the bottom to accommodate the brake chain, which is indicated by 17. The brake chain is operatively connectedto the brake mechanism of the car, not shown. 7

The supporting member D for the brake drum is in the form of a roller secured to the operating shaft which is horizontally disposed and journaled in bearing bosses 19 and 20 formed integral respectively with the plate 11 and the vertical wall 13 of the cover 12. The shaft C carries the operating hand wheel G at the outer end thereof, the same being fixed thereto in any well known manner, as for example by providing the outer end of the shaft with a portion of square cross section which engages withinthe square opening in the hand wheel, the wheel being held in position by the usual securing nut 21. The roller D is provided with an enlarged central portion forming a pinion member 22. The portions of smaller diameter at opposite sides of the pinion form annular bearing surfaces 2323 as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The brake drum B is in the form of an annular ring-like member having an external annular groove 24' to accommodate the chain 17. As shown in Figure 1, a web 25 extends across the groove 24: at one point and serves as a means for anchoring the chain 17, the web being perforated to receive one of the link members of the chain. The drum is provided with an annular series of internal gear teeth 26 which mesh with the gear teeth of the pinion 22. At' opposite sides of the gear teeth 26, the ring-like winding drum B is provided with a pair of annular ribs forming internal supporting guideways 27 for suspending the chain winding drum for rotation. As will be evident, the ring-like drum is thus suspended from the shaft 0 on the member D by engagement with the anti-friction rolling bearing surfaces 23-23 thereof. In order to maintain the drum in centered position for rotation about a horizontal axis, I employ a three point support comprising the members D, E and F, the member D of which, as hereinbefore pointed out, is carried by the support-ing shaft C. The supporting members E and F are each in the form of an anti-friction roller mounted on a relatively short shaft having its opposite ends supported in the front and back walls respectively of the housing. As shown, the supporting shaft C and the supporting shafts of the members E and F are arranged in triangular formation, so that a three point support for the ring-like chain winding drum B is had.

In order to prevent backward rotation of the brake drum in an unwinding direction, the locking dog H is employed, the same cooperating with ratchet means associated with the brake drum. As shown, the brake drum is provided with a series of external Tratchet teeth 28 which cooperate with the dog H. The dog H is of substantially the form of a bell crank lever pivoted between its ends on a pivot pin 29 fixed to the front wall of the housing A, and having one of the arms thereof formed with a tooth 30 cooperating with the ratchet teeth 28 and the other arm provided with operating hand grip by which the dog may be manipulated. The hand grip arm of the dog is weighted so that the same overbalances the arm carrying the tooth, whereby the dog is held in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the drum by the action of gravity.

The operation of my improved hand brake mechanism in winding the brake chain is as follows: the hand wheel G is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, thereby effecting rotation of the pinion 22 in the same direction and rotating the brake drum B about its axis. Inasmuch as the internal gear of the drum is of considerably greater diameter than the pinion, the power applied will be greatly multiplied. The brake chain 17 will thus be wound on the drum B. During the winding action, backward movement of the drum is prevented by the locking dog H, which also locks the drum against backward rotation when the chain is fully wound thereon and the brakes tightened. To release the brakes, the dog H is disengaged from the ratchet teeth, whereupon the brake drum will be free to rotate to allow unwinding of the chain. The hand wheel G may also be employed to back up the brakes when the dog is disengaged from the ratchet teeth, the hand wheel being rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 2, thereby rotating the drum in a corresponding direction through the medium of the pinion 22.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a hand brake, the combination with a hollow cylindrical chain winding drum hav ing an interior annular series of gear teeth; of an operating hand wheel; a shaft fixed to said hand wheel, said shaft being supported for rotation about a horizontal axis; a pinion fixed to said shaft, said pinion supporting the drum and meshing with the gear teeth thereof; and roller means spaced from said pinion cooperating with said internal surface of the drum for holding said drum centered for ro tation about a fixed horizontal axis.

2. In a hand brake, the combination with a hollow ring-like chain winding drum; of a three point supporting means having bear in g engagement interiorly with the drum, said three point supporting means including a drive pinion geared to the drum; and a drive shaft carrying said pinion, a manually actuated hand wheel fixed to said shaft for rotating the same, said shaft being supported for rotation about a horizontal axis and said pinion having annular bearing means directly supporting the drum.

3. In a hand brake, the combination with a ring-like hollow rotary chain winding drum provided with an annular internal series of gear teeth, said drum having interior annular guide surfaces at opposite sides of said annular series of teeth; of a drive shaft supported for rotation about a horizontal axis, said drive shaft having a pinion fixed thereto and engaging the internal gear teeth of the annular drum, said pinion havin cylindrical hub portions having rolling supporting engagement with said annular guide surfaces of the drum for directly suspending the same: and a pair of spaced supporting rollers also engaging said interior annular guide surfaces of the drum and forming with said pinion a three point support for the brake drum.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23rd day of December, 1929.

WILLIAM A. GEIGER. 

